SWK 640 Social Work Research (3 credits)

Hours: 3 classroom + 0 lab/studioPrerequisite(s):Admission to the MSW program.Taught:Spring onlyThis course introduces students to concepts and skills underlying a scientific and systematic approach to social work practice. These include critical thinking, empirical evidence, and the use of research in one’s own practice. Emphasis is placed on understanding the reciprocal relationship between research and practice. Students are taught to become critical consumers of research and are provided with the foundational knowledge to move to-ward becoming researchers themselves. Also considered are the value and ethical issues in the scientific approach to social work practice with special attention to issues related to race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental ability, age, and national origin. This course covers the use of both quantitative and qualitative data and lays the foundation for concentration-level evaluation courses.♦